In general, the field of power engineering deals with the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity as well as the design and maintenance of a range of related equipment and components. Such equipment and components may include devices such as, for example, transformers, electric generators, electric motors and power electronics. For the most part, power engineering is concerned with the network of interconnected components which convert different forms of energy to electrical energy. Although, power systems engineering more specifically deals with the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power and the electrical devices used for such including generators, motors and transformers, much of the field is primarily concerned with the problems in dealing with three-phase AC power—the conventional standard form of electrical power for most large-scale power transmission and distribution across the modern world. Power engineers generally strive to design transmission and distribution networks which will transport electrical energy as efficiently as feasible, while at the same time taking into account economic factors, network safety and redundancy.
Modern power engineering typically involves three main subsystems: the power generation subsystem, the transmission subsystem, and the distribution subsystem. In the power generation subsystem, the power plant produces the electricity. The transmission subsystem transmits the electricity to specific load distribution centers. The distribution subsystem then completes the transmission of power to customers through a more localized distribution of the electricity. These networks typically comprise components such as power lines, cables, circuit breakers, switches and transformers. Typically, the transmission network is administered on a regional basis by an entity such as a regional transmission organization or transmission system operator.
Electric power transmission or “high-voltage electric transmission” is conventionally defined as the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to substations located near population centers. This is generally distinguished from the local wiring between high-voltage substations and customers, which is typically referred to as electric power distribution. Transmission lines, when interconnected with each other, become high-voltage transmission networks. These transmission networks are typically referred to as “power grids” or just “the grid”. An electrical power transmission grid is a network of power stations, transmission circuits, and substations. Conventionally, energy is usually transmitted within a power grid using three-phase alternating current (AC) electric power. Typically, the power grid is an electrical network that connects a variety of electric generators to the users of AC electric power. Users purchase electricity from the grid avoiding the costly exercise of having to generate their own. Power engineers may work on the design and maintenance of the power grid as well as the power systems that connect to it. Such power systems are often referred to as “on-grid” power systems and may supply the grid with additional power, draw power from the grid or do both.
Conventionally, there are three main forms of generated and distributed electrical power: three-phase alternating current, two-phase alternating current and single-phase alternating current. Three-phase alternating current electrical power is a common form of electrical power that is used in power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase electrical power that is commonly used in most electrical power grids worldwide to transfer power. Three-phase alternating current is also commonly used to power large motors and run other industrial equipment which may demand huge current loads. Three-phase electrical power circuits typically occur in two varieties: in one circuit type, there are only three energized (“hot”) wires and, in the other type, there are three hot wires plus a neutral wire. Four-wire circuits offer a certain degree of flexibility, since a load may be connected “line-to-line” or “line-to-neutral”. Three-wire circuits offer economy, since the neutral conductor is eliminated. Commonly, distribution voltage circuits are four-wire, whereas higher voltage transmission circuits are three-wire.
Two-phase alternating current electric power, like three-phase, provides a constant power transfer to a linear load. For loads that connect each phase to neutral, assuming the load is the same power draw, the two-wire system has a neutral current which is greater than neutral current in a three-phase system. In contrast, single-phase alternating current electric power conventionally refers to the distribution of alternating current electric power using a system in which all the voltages of the supply vary in unison. Single-phase distribution is typically used where electrical loads are mostly due to lighting and heating, with few large electric motors. Single-phase loads may be connected to a three-phase system in two basic ways: either a load may be connected across two of the live conductors, or a load can be connected from a live phase conductor to the neutral conductor. Single-phase loads, however, must be distributed evenly between the phases of the three-phase system for the most efficient use of the supply transformer and supply conductors. If the line-to-neutral voltage is a standard load voltage, for example 230 volt on a 400 volt three-phase system, single-phase loads can connect to a phase and the neutral. Loads may also be distributed over three phases to balance the load.
With a contemporary electrical power transmission/distribution network, or any distributed services provider having geographically distributed facilities such as telecom and utility companies, it is practically a necessity to have a communications network for distributing and exchanging information between design engineers, system operators and field maintenance personnel, among others. For example, among other things, there is typically a constant need for the communication and exchange of engineering data and documentation such as, among other things, initial electrical circuit design models and subsequent component changes and upgrades. Typically, this is accomplished through the use of distributed computer systems and equipment connected via either private or public communications networks such as the Internet.
In a non-limiting example implementation of such a communications network, a Model Managing/Model Exchange system or platform (MEP) may be provided to more efficiently handle tasks such as, among others, managing, accessing documenting and distributing engineering specifications/models, including circuit models and model version changes, among other things, between authoring/publishing entities and end-user/subscriber entities or system operators who may be responsible for the implementing, monitoring, checking and operating of the modeled circuitry or hardware.
Industrial electrical equipment and power transmission/distribution companies typically may have many different pieces of electrically powered machinery and equipment, as well as, a variety of electrical conducting devices and components which may be used in numerous circuits and electrical equipment networks. Commonly, these circuits can comprise many connection points, and the connection points between each constituent piece of equipment, conducting device/component must be first evaluated and validated for proper phase connectivity/compatibility prior to power-up and use of the circuit or network. In the past, phase connectivity validation of circuit components/equipment had to be performed manually by an operator/engineer in the field prior to implementing actual changes in circuit/equipment hardware. Unfortunately, it is not really possible to have a person or persons quickly and efficiently evaluate and validate the correctness of electrical phase connectivity at connection nodes between conducting components in an engineering circuit model where there may be numerous components and potentially hundreds or thousands of connection nodes to evaluate and validate, nor is it practical or even feasible. One solution to this problem is to use computerized assistance. However, evaluating and validating connection points between every component/device for such circuits can become a very time consuming process even when such evaluating and validation is performed using computer-implemented aids. For example, conventional attempts at computerized evaluation and validation of electrical components in circuit models for phase connectivity involved using software comprising a large block of ‘if-then’ instructions and performing many string comparisons, which was computationally inefficient and very time consuming. However, in a network information and communications system when distributing circuit model information and model changes obtained from a design/publication source, to be practical, it is desirable to be able to quickly identify phase validation errors in a circuit model before passing that circuit model along to engineers/operators in the field. Consequently, it was not feasible to perform computerized phase connectivity evaluation and validation within a network communications system, even if the network employed a MEP/model manager system/platform, because conventional computer implementations would have taken too long to be of any practical use for most situations and applications.
Therefore, a need exists for a fast and efficient computerized tool for performing evaluation and validation of model circuit component connectivity within a communications network system. As a practical solution to this problem in the art, the non-limiting example implementation disclosed herein provides a MEP/Model Manager computer system/platform that has fast and efficient model circuit component connectivity evaluation and validation capabilities. More particularly, in the non-limiting example implementation disclosed herein, a method and program product is described for enabling a MEP/model manager computer system/platform, or the like, to quickly and efficiently evaluate and validate the correctness of electrical phase connectivity at connection nodes between conducting components/devices within a particular circuit network model of a power distribution network or other electrical equipment circuit network without hindering performance of other information management and distribution functions. The non-limiting example implementation also enables a quick detection and identification of phase connectivity errors in a circuit model by a model manager computer system/platform before the model is passed along to an end-user/consumer so that the turnaround time required to inform the model source/publisher of the existence of an error and then obtain a correction to publish/send can be significantly decreased. In addition, the non-limiting example method and program product implementation described herein provides certain commercial advantages for an MEP/model manager computer system/platform, or the like, in that it allows at least basic evaluations and validations to be performed on a circuit model before passing it to the end-user/consumer.